Abstract
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>Alexander Bain (1818–1903) was once Britain’s greatest philosopher of mind. Author of The Senses and the Intellect (1855) and The Emotions and the Will (1859), Bain articulated a comprehensive theory of the human mind, integrating cognitive, developmental, and evolutionary psychology with neuroscience and philosophy. Mill utilized Bain’s theory of moral judgment to defend utilitarianism. Darwin leaned on Bain’s theory of conscience to explain the evolution of morality. James used Bain’s texts to teach philosophy of mind at Harvard, launching psychology as an independent department of inquiry. Peirce said Bain’s theory of belief was the axiom of pragmatism. And Bain founded the journal Mind, launching the cognitive sciences into the field it has become. Mill is still celebrated for his analyses of liberalism and utilitarianism. Darwin remains famous for his theory of natural selection. And James is well known as the father of both pragmatism and empirical psychology in America. Bain stands behind these accomplishments, his role unacknowledged. Alexander Bain: Philosopher of Mind seeks to rectify the oversight. After introducing the reader to Bain’s early work, Zimmerman analyzes Bain’s solution to the mind–body problem, describes Bain’s contributions to logic and his disagreement with Mill over proper names, engages with Bain’s theories of freewill, conscience, and moral responsibility, and explains Bain’s theory of belief and its role in the genesis of pragmatism. Bain’s philosophy will engage philosophers of mind, cognitive scientists, historians of philosophy, and anyone interested in the “Darwinian revolution” in our understanding of life on Earth.</jats:p>